The Little Guide to... preventing fraud and cyber crime

Several million cases of fraud and of computer misuse are reported to the police every year. It's staggering, but even more staggering is that so many of those crimes could have been prevented by making a few small changes in online behaviour.

To avoid becoming a victim of online crime you don’t need to be a computer expert. Developing a few good online habits drastically reduces your chances of becoming a victim of cyber crime, makes you less vulnerable and lets you use the web safely.

We've created the Little series of books and videos to explain some of the most common scams and give advice on how to avoid falling victim to them. 

Listen to the Little Book of Big Scams audiobook.

Report cyber crime

If you are currently being subjected to a live and ongoing cyber-attack then please contact us on 101.

If you suspect you’ve been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber crime, the Report Fraud team can also provide the help, support and advice you need.

Call Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (textphone 0300 123 2050).

Watch The Little Guide to... videos

All videos include British Sign Language (BSL).

Top ten tips

Little Guide to Always Updating Software 
Little Guide to AntiVirus
Little Guide to Backups
Little Guide to Free Wi-Fi
Little Guide to Links and Attachments  
Little Guide to Passwords 
Little Guide to Personal Information 
Little Guide to Social Media
Little Guide to Two Factor Authentication 

Little animated guides

Little Guide to Avoiding Computer Software Service Fraud 
Little Guide to Avoiding Impersonation Fraud 
Little Guide to Avoiding Payment Fraud  
Little Guide to Avoiding Romance Fraud 
Little Guide to Not Being a Money Mule 
Little Guide to Safer Online Shopping

Bitesized guides

Bitesized Guide to Online Shopping
Bitesized Guide to Phishing
Bitesized Guide to Smishing
Bitesized Guide to Vishing
Bitesized Guide to Ransomware
Bitesized Guide to Working from Home